


Don't Be Nervous (Does it Seem Like a Dream?)

by YunalalieMoon



Category: Stray Kids (Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe non famous, Angst, Changbin and Felix are Daehwi's friends, Character Death, Deephwi, Fluff, Guanlin is mean, Imaginary Friends, Inspired by an Instagram prompt, Jinyoung is an imaginary friend, M/M, Minor Character Death, PanWink - Freeform, Sad Ending, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, are they ;)?, but Guanlin isn't letting that happen, does it count as major character death when one is already dead, don't kill me okay, first fanfiction eyyy, i'm not even going to put changpil because it happens for a second in one chapter, jihoon and daehwi used to be friends, jinhwi, minhwan? slightly, oh and jihoon was jinyoung's friend's younger brother, that might be important idk, what is my life anymore omg, would 'friends to lovers' be appropriate?, yes i said changpil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:51:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunalalieMoon/pseuds/YunalalieMoon
Summary: Bae Jinyoung dies in a freakish car accident on his 18th birthday. After Jinyoung's vision cleared up, instead of ending up in heaven or hell, he finds himself in a small boy's bedroom.At first, it's the creepiest thing Jinyoung has ever seen, and he's secretly worried that he's been kidnapped. When the boy asks Jinyoung to join him for a tea party, he realizes he isn't alive anymore, and he isn't Bae Jinyoung.He's Mr. Jinnie, Lee Daehwi's imaginary friend.(Title taken from G-Friend's Glass Bead)





	1. Jinyoung's Death

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LilicaDearest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilicaDearest/gifts).



> Hello! Welcome to my first fanfiction on AO3! This is not my first overall fanfiction, as I have written 4 on Wattpad, 2 on Quotev, and 1 unfinished one on AFF. This one is inspired by an Instagram prompt I found, and while the original prompt was fluff, I'm going to make it sad.
> 
> I lost the original prompt, (I'm so sorry to the owner of it!) but it said something like, "Imagine dying and finding yourself in neither heaven or hell but in a 6-year-old girl's bedroom. She asks you to join her for tea. Soon, it dawns on you. You're her imaginary friend!"
> 
>  
> 
> I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY: JINYOUNG'S FRIENDS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE IDOLS' REAL PERSONALITIES.
> 
> By the way, it's Minho and Seungmin as in the ones from Stray Kids, not another group.

Bae Jinyoung usually wasn't one to go outside for anything, let alone with his friends. But today was a special occasion. It was his 18th birthday, and there was no way they would "let him waste away his life in his room when he could waste his life away drinking."

By now, Jinyoung probably should've realized what a bad crowd he'd gotten himself in. His friends dragged him into illegal places all the time, faked their IDs, smoked, bullied, whatever it was, you name it. Jinyoung still hung around them because he believed that, with a little effort, they could fix their personalities. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He should've realized that.

Jinyoung's hand shakingly ran through his already disheveled hair. Today was no different from the days he'd become accustomed too. He sat between Daniel and Seungmin, the two engaging in a 'friendly' punching battle that involved 'accidentally' hitting Jinyoung in his face, a hobby they had developed. From his front, Minho excitedly chattered about what they were going to do for Jinyoung's birthday. "We should sneak into a bar, bet you the ones we got from the new dealer are better than the old rubbish. Oh, how about a club instead? We've never gotten in trouble there. I bet you there's going to be hot chicks all over the place, man!" The excitement was overflowing as the older swerved around, earning honks from the other cars.

Woojin let out a shriek from the seat beside Minho. "You insolent fool, for God's sake, drive like a decent human being. We are so dead because of you!"

Jinyoung opened his mouth to interject before a hand was slapped down unceremoniously over his mouth. Muffled words were audible in the background as Daniel smirked. "Which one, dim-wit? Let's go to a good and expensive one, Jinyoung here's too innocent. Probably's never been to a regular club in his life. Probably's never even done it, ya know? Gotta bring him to a good place, not the run-down shack you brought us to last time." 

Jinyoung bit his lip, knowing very well that Daniel didn't want to go to a nice club because it was his birthday. The sleazy idiot was using his birthday as an excuse to go places. He couldn't help but roll his eyes. His friends were nice, yes, (well, no) but it always seemed like they kept him to use him. They'd always ask him for his lunch money, and Jinyoung, being the kind soul that he is, gave it to them, causing him to be starving for the rest of the day. They'd always ask him for favors and made empty promises in return, causing many things to work for their benefit. If Jinyoung was being honest, he was quite fed up with it. Then again, Jinyoung couldn't bring himself to separate himself from the idiots he'd grown to care about. There was a time before they had become intolerable drunks. A time when Seungmin was the most caring person on the planet, Daniel was a sweet and shy boy from Busan, Minho was a chic fool who loved to play around, and Woojin was a loud and messy slop.

Where had the friends that Jinyoung loved so much gone? He didn't recognize the Seungmin that pushed people's heads into lockers, the Daniel that boasted about everything he had, the Minho who bullied others as his way of playing around, or the Woojin who was a loud and messy slop that did it just to annoy and abhor others. 

Jinyoung slumped down in his seat as the screaming between his friends continued. Quickly and quietly, Jinyoung took out his phone and shoved his earbuds in his ears. His eyes shut, and only then did he realize how long of a car ride this would be.

He didn't catch the worried look that Seungmin threw at him.

When Jinyoung opened his eyes again, he spotted Woojin's outstretched hand a few inches away from his face. Jinyoung jumped back in shock, screaming very manly. "For the love of--Woojin, personal space, you dwarf!" Jinyoung cried in alarm.

A satisfied Woojin leaned back into his front seat. Minho and Daniel suppressed giggles as the still flustered Jinyoung put a hand over his heart. "Screw you. dude, you weren't going to wake up anyway. We're a few minutes away from this club. And holy--" Jinyoung sent him a glare. "--cow, it's a great place. Loved it there. Got myself a girl too, too bad she wasn't as good afterward. Not the point."

Jinyoung grimaced at Woojin's words. This was definitely not the same person he knew back in freshman year. A small silence fell between the 5 before Seungmin couldn't take it anymore (Daniel was starting his campaign to punch him to smithereens again). "Hey, did I ever tell you guys I had an adopted little brother?" Seungmin mused.

This caught Jinyoung's interest. The Seungmin that'd be the type to talk about his family was the same Seungmin that Jinyoung remembered. Minho cut him off. "Nope, never heard of him. Sounds like a handful though."

Daniel also responded. "Don't care."

Jinyoung ignored the other two and turned to face Seungmin. There was an unmistakable glint in his eye, a glint of excitement. For the first time in forever, Jinyoung thought he caught sight of a real smile on the boy's face. "Last month my family adopted a small boy named Park Jihoon." Seungmin started. "He was so shy around people, especially us. I thought he'd never adjust to being part of a family. Surprisingly, he made his first friend quite soon. He was also quite small, but he was an extrovert. Probably how Jihoon even met him in the first place, there's no way he would've approached him first. He smiles a lot too, he's really enjoying life." 

Jinyoung, in this moment, felt so happy. The smile on Seungmin's face only grew wider, and Jinyoung was reminded of their freshman days when they used to lay outside on the grass together. This was the same Seungmin he had grown to care about. Jinyoung smiled softly and asked, "How's Jihoon now?"

Seungmin only looked happier to be talking about the younger brother he cherished so much. "Oh, he's doing great! He's 7 now; his birthday was a few weeks ago. We got to celebrate it with him. He said it was his first birthday party." The smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown as Seungmin thought about the memory.

"Wow, Kim Seungmin turning into a little squish because of a young idiot who's probably going to end up as bad as himself? Wow, that's really something new, Minnie. We could all learn from you." Woojin laughed. "You know you'll only be a bad influence on them. Besides, what's the point of the brat anyway? Can he do your chores? Can he drive you places?"

"Hey, guys, convince your parents to adopt a younger sibling and trick them into believing we're a good person! Better yet, get them to be your personal slave. I've got Lilica already, and she's doing great at her job!" Daniel sarcastically added.

In all his years of life, Jinyoung had never felt this much anger build up in him from a single sentence. Kang Daniel or Park Woojin had said pretty stupid things in the past, but this was enough to make Jinyoung kill them both. Seungmin beat him to it, holding back Jinyoung's raised arm. "You brat. Don't bring Lilica into this, Daniel. God, you're a terrible brother. You can't be bothered to take care of her. Heaven knows none of your family will at this point. I could raise her better. The poor girl. How about you follow a male drama's lead and work jobs to support her education instead of beating her up for her lunch money"

"And you."

Jinyoung doesn't think he's ever been this intimidated by Kim freaking Seungmin before, but he definitely is now. "You. Don't. Know. Me. So stop acting like you do. You don't know anything about Jihoon, can you at least act like you care in the slightest bit? I'm glad your an only child. Your siblings would be messed up by the time they left home, Woojin." Seungmin paused before looking to Minho. "Can't you all act like humans? I might've played with you for now, but there's only so much a human can take, dip--"

Seungmin never got to finish his sentence. Minho gave up his responsibilities of driving and unbuckled his seatbelt. Slowly, Jinyoung's eyes flashed before him as Minho leaped at Seungmin, preparing to smack the boy into the next week. 

Minho shrieked as Seungmin braced himself for the impact before any of them realized what had just happened.

There were screams as the car derailed and fell into the ditch next to the road. The windows shattered, the metal dented, and the whole world was thrown sideways.

The bright light and the heat of the fire hit Jinyoung as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself down. 

Jinyoung hated feeling inferior.

It seemed to be a strange thing to think about while his friends and himself were dying, but the only thing he could think about now was how inferior he felt right now. The world was something Jinyoung promised himself never to submit to. He'd be superior and be able to control his life. Everything would be under his rule, and he would make sure everything was orderly. However, now, Jinyoung felt scared and afraid of the world he'd come to love. What he had was slowly falling apart before his eyes. No matter how much he hated some things, Jinyoung couldn't bring himself to leave them behind.

Perhaps that was the real reason why he'd never left his friends.

Or was it because he knew one of them would eventually come back around?

'Seungmin?' Jinyoung thought. 'Seungmin... I can practically hear him calling my name... haha. Why is it so hot in here? Am I burning? Oh my God, I really went to hell, didn't I?' 

"Jinyoung!" A call cut through the air, crisp and clean.

'See, I can even hear him now. Do I really miss him that much?' Jinyoung thought. He listened again and heard multiple screams of his name. Jinyoung decided to open his eyes, to see if the Devil was torturing him by having him listen to screams of his loved ones.

But no, he was most certainly not in hell. But yes those screams were definitely of his loved ones. Hastily, Jinyoung stood up to find the cars still rushing past him, the wind still ruffling his hair. He had lived the car crash and was out of the car. Carefully, Jinyoung rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't a dream.

"Jinyoung! Help!" Was that his name again?

He looked around wildly before spotting Daniel and Minho stuck in a trench. They were surrounded by the burning debris of the car, and the fire was spreading rapidly. "Oh my God, oh my God, no, no. It can't end like this..." Minho sobbed. The fire approached the pair as they huddled closer together.

Jinyoung diverted his eyes a little further before he spotted Seungmin and Woojin. Seungmin had just made his way out of the biggest chunk of the car and was contemplating what to do next. Unlike the others, he wasn't screaming. He was carefully scanning the area for a way out. The fire closed in rapidly on him too.

When Jinyoung spotted Woojin, he practically froze. The dead body lay burning, the hand already turning into ashes. Woojin's hair had been long burned, and the smell of blood filled the air. Woojin was badly cut, presumably by the shattering of the glass and the dent in the car. The gashes on his cheek had shards of glass deep within. Tears trickled down his chin as the cuts on his body started to pour out more blood. His bones were broken and stuck out at odd angles, bruises covering his body. 

The sight made him sick. Woojin was a terrible person and had made many wrong choices in his life, but that didn't mean that he deserved to go in this way. Woojin had once been caring too, he had once been human too. He was the one who came to his house when he was sick, the one who first met Jinyoung and befriended him, the one who brought smiles to his face when he was sad. "No, no, no!" Jinyoung whimpered.

A blood-curdling scream rang through the air as the hiss of the fire grew louder. Jinyoung snapped his head in confusion towards Minho and Daniel's direction, only to see a sight that would undoubtedly haunt him for the rest of his life. Daniel was in the fire and had just collapsed. Minho watched with a shocked expression etched onto his face as the boy died right in front of his eyes. The burn marks were evident on his body as he burned fiercely in the never-ending fire.

It was now that Jinyoung realized that he wasn't inferior to the world. He was, in fact, in charge of fate. But this was the cruelest way to give him his wish. Jinyoung could run away and all of his responsibilities would be solved. or he could run and save his friends from the path that was death.

One of them, he realized with a sickening jolt. Only one of them. There'd be no way for him to successfully pull either of them up, as he was too weak and would fall in with them. The only way was to jump in and help boost them up. Jinyoung knew in an instant he would take his own life while doing this.

It wasn't a matter Jinyoung had much time to think about. The flames were raging at both Seungmin and Minho and were closing in quite fast. Both were at the edge of the ditch now, Minho frantically trying to climb up the slippery ledge while Seungmin sat quite quietly, as he seemed to have already accepted his fate.

Jinyoung was not seeing another two of his friends die right before his eyes. He looked at Minho's pleading eyes for a moment, begging him to come and save him. Then, Jinyoung turned his eyes to Seungmin's softer brown ones. His friend smiled softly at him, tears starting to well up. He motioned for Jinyoung to run away or go help Minho. Jinyoung's head went back to Minho, and he could tell the other wanted to be saved from this hell desperately. When his gaze matched back to Seungmin, Jinyoung could swear he saw them filled with sorrow.

It wasn't the same sorrow that Minho's eyes were filled with, it was the sorrow that he'd never be able to see his younger brother again and give him one last hug.

Jinyoung's heart broke as he realized that he couldn't bring himself to leave Seungmin. His eyes turned apologetic as he looked at Minho before he jumped into the pit with Seungmin. He landed with a thump!, and only then did Jinyoung realize what situation he was in. "Seungmin, Seungmin. You've got to get out of here." He carefully shook his wide-eyed friend.

Seungmin didn't seem to be processing anything. "J-Jinyoung... why'd you jump in? Go, God, run far away from here and let me die."

Jinyoung could feel the sorrow pool into his soul as the tears began to well in his eyes as he met Seungmin's gaze of acceptance. "No, Seungmin, get out of here." Before the other had a chance to protest, Jinyoung lifted the lighter up. "Reach for the edge, climb up, get up!" 

Jinyoung felt moisture on his cheek and couldn't tell if he was sweating because of the heat or the tears from his eyes had finally fallen. A part of him knew they were his tears, but crying would mean giving up. And Jinyoung was going to save Seungmin, no matter what. 

His friend landed on the rocky surface before looking down at Jinyoung. He outstretched a hand, but Jinyoung slapped it away and shook his head. "Seungmin, listen to me carefully. I want you to become a better person. Please, do not be the guy that neglects his family for a good time he's probably going to forget when he wakes up tomorrow. Take care of Jihoon, please. He seems like a boy with such a bright future. Lead him on the right path, let him become a good person. Make him feel loved. I... want you to adopt Lilica as well. That sounds crazy, yes, but please, fight in court. Tell them all that Da--Lilica's parents have done to her. Please, I want to know she's being raised right. Who knows what she's like now."

Seungmin's tears were dripping fast onto Jinyoung's hand, but he didn't mind. The flames were getting closer and closer to Jinyoung as they spoke, and he could tell he didn't have much more time left before he burned up into the still spreading fire. He could hear cars zooming by, but he knew that one had to have called 911 by now. "Promise me that you'll make sure they won't follow your footsteps." Jinyoung finished before letting go of Seungmin's hand and slightly pushing the other. "Run now, okay? I don't want you to see what's going to happen to me."

Seungmin shook his head as he sat down close to him. "I-I want to be here until the end, J-Jinyoung." The same glint and smile were back on his face, although they were relatively subdued by sadness.

Jinyoung put his head down before looking up again. "And so you will." He mumbled before he felt the fire start to swallow his legs.

One last scream was all he heard before he collapsed.

***

A flash of white was the last thing Jinyoung expected to see. There was no way he'd end up anywhere near the sky, why all the excessive white? 

Suddenly, the color disapparated, leaving Jinyoung as confused as ever. "So this is what happens when you die..." He mumbled.

In a matter of milliseconds, the blank canvas that the world had left him in painted itself. The vibrant teal covered the walls, white drapery and accessories everywhere. The pastel furniture made him feel like he was living in a dollhouse, it was all so perfect.

"Hello, Mr. Jinnie~ Would you like to join me for tea?"

A high pitched voice filled the air, and Jinyoung got the sense that it was directed at him. He whipped his head around and spotted a young boy, no older than 6 staring right back at him. Next to him sat an equally small boy, perhaps a little older. "Who are you, and... tea party?" Jinyoung choked out in disbelief. Where were his friends, where was Seungmin? 

Jinyoung had to admit, it was pretty creepy when the child smiled and pointed at himself. "I'm Lee Daehwi, and this is my friend, Jihoon! I want to invite you to the 3rd Annual Springs Tea Party!"

Jinyoung almost froze. Could this kid hear him? Wasn't he dead? Jinyoung awkwardly stepped over to the short children and sat down in the chair already pulled out for him. He sat in between Jihoon and Daehwi, and he never felt smaller. "See? I told you he was real!" Daehwi proudly smirked to the older (Jinyoung assumed) Jihoon. 

Jihoon was unimpressed. "No, he isn't!" And just like that, Jihoon waved his arm right through Jinyoung. To say it was the most shocking thing that happened to him all day wasn't exactly appropriate, but it was frightening. A hand had just gone through his torso.

He watched the two argue over whether or not he was real, and he couldn't help but smile. Children having tea parties with dolls and imaginary friends was so classical. it seemed to be a staple of every child's youth. Jinyoung remembered when he was young, and smiled softly at the idea of his imaginary friend playing dolls with him. His had been named Seongwoo, a boy who was his best friend until he disappeared. After that, Jinyoung stopped believing that he even existed, choosing to think of it as his "childish imagination."

It suddenly clicked in Jinyoung's head as he finally realized why he was here. If this was real, and Jinyoung was quite sure it was, that would mean...

He was the imaginary friend.

Jinyoung blinked a little before he felt the weight of the situation really hit him.

Oh no.

It was his birthday, why must the universe punish him?

As Jinyoung looked at the child, he couldn't help but feel a spark of resentment. He took a deep breath before playing along and smiling.

If he wanted to stay true to his words, Jinyoung was going to make sure he led this kid down a path with happy memories.

Even if it was the last thing he would do.


	2. It's All Winter Here (Even in August)

Bae Jinyoung is seriously being screwed over by the universe.

He sounds like a 6-year-old having a tantrum, but he's definitely telling the truth. There were times when he had thought, "I'm seriously being killed by the world right now," whenever Daniel or Minho would drag him to go outside of his house and "hang out" (drink), but those slimmers of agitation were nothing compared to whatever the heavens above were trying to do to him. What could've happened to Jinyoung that was so bad? For example, Jinyoung had just watched 3 out of 4 of his best friends die and sacrificed himself for the 4th one. Next, he woke up to find that he isn't in heaven or hell. Instead, he's a child's imaginary friend. Lastly, the said child is probably the biggest brat he has ever met. And that's saying something, considering he's met his very considerate friends who cared about him so much.

Ah yes, good memories. Of course, Jinyoung only had to watch a life-scarring moment (but was it life-scarring now that he was dead?) unfurl within seconds, but he thinks he'd prefer to be in this child's bedroom rather than heaven or hell (the latter).

"Mr. Jinnie! Jinnie! Look at the tea, I made it for you~ If you don't drink it, I'll be sad!" Daehwi screeched, throwing his arms around Jinyoung's neck. Jihoon had been pulled away by his mother, saying that an accident had happened and he needed to go home. Jinyoung found it funny, he'd died learning about a Jihoon and had seen one the moment he woke up. However, he did not find it funny how clingy the young kid was. Jinyoung apologized to Seongwoo mentally, as he remembered putting the imaginary friend through the same pain. 

"Alright, Daehwi. What type of tea did you make?' Jinyoung carefully held the teacup, afraid to drop it. The tea inside looked edible, and he even sipped it a little to make sure it wasn't poisoned.

Daehwi happily clapped his hands. "I made lemon tea! You look like you're having a hard day today. Was it hard to travel to my home from yours?"

Jinyoung started drinking his tea, but when he started understanding Daehwi's chatter, he almost spit his tea out. "What do you mean a hard day? And what house?"

As a response, Daehwi laughed. "Your house, silly! The place where you live. I just met you today, but you've been appearing in my dreams lately. Last night you told me you'd come today if I called you. So I did, and look! You're sitting right here."

Jinyoung doubts he's ever been so scared of a six-year-old, but now is definitely the time to start. He isn't known for being smart, but if Daehwi was telling the truth (he hoped not), then... did that mean that Daehwi had predicted his death?

Suddenly the memories of Seongwoo appearing in his dreams seemed less calming. Jinyoung's head started spinning, and he swore he could've fainted and turned into a pile of melted confusion. Jinyoung set the tea down and put his hands on Daehwi's shoulders. His eyes started darting from the left to the right before he cleared his throat. "Y-you said you s-saw me in yo-your d-dream, right?"

Daehwi promptly nodded, a bright smile on his face.

Jinyoung was about to seriously start freaking out. He took a deep breath and let his eyes flutter shut. "You. Saw me. In a dream?"

Daehwi nodded again.

Carefully, Jinyoung took one hand off of Daehwi's shoulder to prop his head up. "And what was I doing? Besides telling you I'd come soon." Part of Jinyoung didn't want to hear the other, but the other side was really curious. What could the boy have seen that would have been that bad, right?

Daehwi blinked for a bit before tackling Jinyoung in a hug, which the older responded by awkwardly hugging the shorter. Daehwi looked up at the small-headed teenager, a small smile preciously set into his features. "You told you you'd be driving a big blue van." Daehwi looked down for a moment and sighed. "You also said you weren't supposed to be the one coming to visit me. Jinyoung said a boy named S-Seung...Seongmyeon was supposed to come." Daehwi lifted his head back up and stared at the pink wall. "But you told me something happened and instead Jinyoungie would come!"

Daehwi laughed and pulled away before going to get a small, plastic version of an orchid. "I got this for you! It's... my favorite type of flower, and I t-thought y-you'd like i-it..."

The expression on Jinyoung's face was far from joy. It was an expression of pure anger, sorrow, and detest. Jinyoung wanted to regret helping Seungmin, but how terrible of a person would that make him? Jinyoung had died a hero, and in his heart, that was the most important thing. Wow, Jinyoung thought. I really sound like the main protagonist of an anime.

Jinyoung was so lost in thought he almost forgot about the cowering boy in front of him. The smaller was crying, tears dripping out of his eyes.

When the older snapped out of his daze like trance and found Daehwi crying, the guilt immediately washed over him. Just because he was suffering didn't mean he had to make Daehwi suffer. Jinyoung kneeled down on one knee and cupped Daehwi's face. He used his index finger to wipe the tears away from his cheeks. "Hey, hey... It's okay. Don't cry. I'm not mad at you... I'll never be mad at you."

Daehwi was shy now, his face turning a light pink. Jinyoung found the color amusing, it matched the orchid Daehwi had tried to give him. With a sniffle, Daehwi used his puppy eyes on Jinyoung. "Y-you promise?"

The taller smiled and hugged Daehwi. "Of course, I wouldn't lie, would I?"

A small, awkward silence was shared between the two before Daehwi broke it. "You... won't lie to me?" The hurt expression on Daehwi's face transformed into one of utmost excitement and buried his face deeper into Jinyoung's chest. "Thank you."

Jinyoung was grateful for the small action but worried. What kind of events would this boy have to experience to be excited by a simple promise? "Are you okay?" Jinyoung decides to ask after hearing more crying.

Daehwi moves his head up and down. "I'm fine... It just doesn't seem real that you're here, does it?"

Jinyoung could feel his heart melting for the younger boy. The original hate he had felt was almost gone. 

It took a moment before Jinyoung could muster a small, "Yeah, it doesn't."

The two stayed lie that for a while. Daehwi enjoyed being wrapped in the older's warmth, and Jinyoung didn't mind holding the younger boy for a few more seconds. The moment was disrupted when a sudden sharp knock was heard.

"Daehwi? Daehwi-ah? Daehwi!" A high pitched voice vibrated from the other side.

Daehwi made small protests as Jinyoung let him go. He walked to the big wooden door slowly and wobbly. Jinyoung couldn't help but laugh at the small boy attempting to walk normally. 

Jinyoung would've thought the calls were just a normal beckoning for a kid to hurry up to dinner, but when Daehwi opened the door and a distressed and upset version of what he assumed to be of Daehwi's mom appeared. Daehwi's mom hugged the six year old tight, tears falling from her eyes. "Daehwi, Daehwi..."

The small child looked into his mother's eyes, concern filling every corner. "What's wrong? Mom? What happened?" 

Jinyoung's peaceful silence was ruined when a sudden thought cut into his mind. 'Mom was only like this once...' Jinyoung was 100% sure it was not his. 

He later recognized it to be Daehwi's as he quickly shook his mom again. "Tell me, please?"

Daehwi's mom was still breaking down in tears when she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She tried her best to remain composed as she said, "Jihoon's older brother, Seungmin, got involved in a serious car accident. T-They're tr-trying to find the b-body." She broke down in tears again. "Li-Lilica's s-sibl-ing...D-Daniel... i-is comf-confirmed to be--" She took a deep breath and wailed, "DEAD..."

Jinyoung's eyes widened. There were many Daniels and Seungmins in the world, but his gut instinct told him these were the people he knew... or had known. The Daniel he had been friends with. But if they were looking for Seungmin's body... did he not escape in time? Did the car explode again and take Seungmin down? Jinyoung listened carefully.

Daehwi had broken down into tears, and the two were hugging in the doorway. It was at this moment Jinyoung realized just how close Daniel's, Seungmin's, and Daehwi's families must have been. He sighed and shook his head. Fate really was cruel, putting him and Daehwi in a situation like this 

Daehwi's mom found the courage in her soul to continue talking about the car accident. "Th-they were dr-driving with others. There w-was a boy n-named Woojin, one n-named Minho, an-and..." The woman choked up before continuing. "There was a boy who was the c-child of my h-high sc-school best friend. B-Bae Jinyoung."

Jinyoung heard his name and automatically tensed. The situation got more awkward as Daehwi did the same. Jinyoung prayed to himself Daehwi didn't say anything. Besides, he was already surprised the older woman didn't notice a strangely similar looking boy that also had the name Bae Jinyoung standing in her son's room. Because a situation like that happened every single day and was considered completely normal. Jinyoung thought the situation just blew over Daehwi's head before he heard a confused voice. "Wait... but my imaginary friend is called Bae Jinyoung!"

Daehwi's mother released her son from her embrace and looked him in the eyes. Her hands were on Daehwi's shoulders, and Jinyoung found the action surprisingly similar to the action he had done earlier. "Now is not the time to joke around, Lee Daehwi. They're gone, GONE!"

Daehwi turned around, and his eyes met Jinyoung's shocked ones. Daehwi pointed at him, a question in his eyes. "He's right there, what do you mean?" 

Daehwi's mom only grew more distressed. "My son's turning into a psychopath! Daehwi, now is not the right ti--"

She was cut off as a loud banging rang throughout the room. The sound came from the front door. "Please! Miss Lee!" A sickeningly familiar voice called out.

It only took a second before Jinyoung bolted to the front door. 

It had to be him.

The stairs never seemed easier to climb down, and he continued running to the front door. He was aware of Daehwi and his mom following close behind, Daehwi even trying to grab hold of his wrist. 

Jinyoung finally made it to the front door.

Bae Jinyoung looked through the glass, and sure enough, he was there.

He was standing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY I SAID EVERY MONDAY LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE NOW LOL
> 
> I didn't have enough motivation to write, but today I just told myself to get my crap together and start writing again after I saw 8 people bookmarked this. Wow, thank you!
> 
> \--Yuejun

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue, done! Don't expect many updates from me in a week, please. I'm a busy child with too many out of school classes ;-;
> 
> I'll try to update every Monday. You might get a short stub on some random days, but don't expect much~
> 
> Oh, also, I'm here to explain some imaginary friend rules! 
> 
> Every child has an imaginary friend. However, after their 10th birthday, they are no longer visible. Even so, they still exist and can still be friends with the child. After the age of 15, all communication between the two is cut off. If the child stops believing in the imaginary friend, he or she will return to a safe haven, where the people they miss the most who have already been thrown away by their human reside. But, if a child refuses to let go of their imaginary friend by 17, the universe will do some serious meddling and... well, not going to spoil anything, ahah. But let's say it's... a little... weird?
> 
> -Yuejun


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